


Melody

by shinexoel (ExoEl88)



Category: SHINee
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Music, Light Angst, M/M, Piano
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 14:58:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8757115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExoEl88/pseuds/shinexoel
Summary: “If music is the soundtrack to our lives and every moment and every person has its own melody, I never want yours to stop playing.”~ ~ ~A cold winter night, Choi Minho fell in love with a pianist.~ ~ ~





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~ It's been ages since I've uploaded anything new, but here's a cute little 2min oneshot for you, just in time for Minho's birthday. <3 I hope everyone enjoys it. This is my first real 2min fic, so feedback would be really appreciated!  
>   
> For those who are interested, I have a playlist you can listen to accompany the fic. [Here](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYZ5P--mfvMglQkVaRYITZH9ASqmnXFrh) you go!

   

* * *

 

It was a frigid night, though not uncommon these days, remained unpleasant. Minho’s breath steamed the air as he released a sigh, burying his hands deep into his coat pockets in a futile attempt to warm them. As a teenager, the cold had never bothered him, but now, it might as well been sub zero with the way his body shivered. The bus had the obnoxious habit of running late, especially as the night went on. He would kill for something warm, whether that was a cup of hot chocolate or a blanket didn’t matter.

He shifted from foot to foot, bored out of his mind but reluctant to search his backpack (that was doing a fantastic job of keeping his back warm) for his headphones as he normally would, so he settled for listening to the cars driving by, silently wishing one of them was the bus he needed to take to return home.

For the umpteenth time since he started working in the city, he regretted his choice of living in the suburbs. Whether it was traffic he faced while in his car or waiting for an annoyingly late bus, it was a hassle. He also wished his car wasn’t being repaired. Minho shouldn’t have put it off for so long, but he was a busy guy- things like that occasionally were forgotten.

With another sigh, he pulled his hand out from the warmth of his pocket to check the time. _19:58._ The bus was late by nearly five minutes now. Seriously, how were the schedules never accurate? At this rate, he would be late to his second bus.

He tried not to think too hard about that and stared ahead at the bright lights of the city around him. No matter how much time he spent here, he never grew used to seeing the city streets at night. There was a certain liveliness to it despite the cold weather.

Finally, _finally,_ the bus pulled up, screeching to a halt in front of him. He wasted no time in swiping his bus pass, sighing quietly in relief as the heat warmed his chilly skin. Once he found a suitable seat, he immediately searched for his headphones.

He scrolled through his playlists and settled on something relaxing. He didn’t need his workout playlist blasting in his ears right now. With little else to do, he focused on his favourite ballads and let his gaze wander to the window. Endless lights from various buildings blurred as the bus sped by.

Perhaps it was the warmth, or maybe it was the relaxing music in his ears, but drowsiness began to take over, and his eyes felt heavy. Today had been a rather long work day, twelve hours, and it was definitely taking its toll on him. With the holidays coming up, he had even more tasks to do. Working as the assistant store director for a higher-end department store was tedious work… though he himself wasn’t the director, he found himself doing equal work as Kibum. Thankfully, though, it was Kibum’s job to deal with the corporate higher ups. Minho hated pleasantries. In a casual crowd, Minho was charismatic and loved by many-- he knew that. But when it came to rude, nosy superiors, he had the tendency to show his distaste, whereas Kibum was more composed… and then complained endlessly later.

His eyes drooped closed, and before he even realised, he was sound asleep, head rested against the cool glass window.

 

Some time later, he awoke rather disoriented, a stranger nudging his shoulder. “Aigoo, you’re a heavy sleeper,” the short guy commented, a frown on his lips. “I figured I’d have the decency to wake you, since nobody else has.”

Minho, his brain still fogged from sleep, sat up and yawned. “Thanks. What stop is this?” His eyes scanned the street, watching as quite a few people stood and flocked to the door, waiting for it to open.

The stranger in front of him sighed. “It’s probably way past your stop if you don’t recognise the area. Come on, I’ll get my flatmate to drive you home,” the man said, clearly tired as well but there was nothing but kindness in his gaze. “I’m Jonghyun, by the way.”

“Thank you, really. I’m Minho,” he replied easily, standing to follow his new acquaintance out of the bus. Maybe he should have stopped to think more about following a stranger to his flat, but he was still groggy and at this point, his bed was all he wanted and Jonghyun seemed harmless enough.

“Nice to meet you, Minho,” Jonghyun said genuinely before stepping out of the bus and leading the way towards his flat. “You must have been really tired if you fell asleep on the bus.” The slightly raised eyebrows showed Jonghyun’s mild curiosity.

“Yeah, I had a busy and long day at work today, with the holidays and all. Wow, what time is it, even?” Minho asked, pulling his phone out quickly. He was pleased to find out he must have only been asleep for about an hour and a half. Looking around now, he could tell that he wasn’t in completely unfamiliar territory.

He was still rather new to Daegu. He transferred here four months ago for a promotion, and learning the ways around the city was a bit of a task. He still didn’t know it as well as he knew Seoul, but he wasn’t too concerned. His phone’s gps would help him if he was truly lost.

“How long did you sleep?” Jonghyun asked, slightly amused as Minho put away his phone.

“At least an hour. Thanks again for waking me, I would have been so lost. I’m still new to the area,” he answered, smiling softly and trying not to shiver now that the cold is setting in again.

“Not a problem. It’s about time my anti-social flatmate met somebody new anyway,” he said with a chuckle, shuddering a bit as he continued to walk towards a series of nicer residential buildings.

“Who’s your flatmate?” Minho asked, relatively curious. It had actually been a while since he met new people, too… or rather, new people he _didn’t_ work with. It hit him just then how much he lacked in a social life. Jonghyun looked to be about his age, and he surmised that the roommate likely would be as well. Maybe, if he was lucky, he’d walk away from tonight with two new friends to call his own.

“Aww, Taeminnie,” the shorter male said fondly. “He’s been my best friend since we were kids. He’s pretty quiet most of the time, and he generally favours being alone, especially since his jerk of an ex-” Jonghyun paused awkwardly, likely realising he said more than he meant to. “Ah, forget I said that. Just don’t be surprised if Taemin’s not making much conversation, I promise he’s friendly.”

Minho’s lips curled into a small smile. He liked how easily Jonghyun spoke to him, like they were already friends. It was a nice feeling after not having spoken to his old friends much back in Seoul. He idly wondered how Junmyeon and the rest were doing, but it was a passing thought as they finally entered the lobby of a new apartment building and he followed Jonghyun into a lift.

“I’m sure he’ll be just as nice as you,” Minho said, pulling his hands from the warm confines of his pockets to rub his arms a bit, still cold despite finally being inside. He really needed to buy a better jacket, and made a mental note to do so when Jonghyun stopped in front of a door and grabbed his keys.

“He is, I assure you,” Jonghyun cracked a wide smile as he opened the door and held it open for Minho.

The first thing he registered was the heavenly warm sound of the piano, playing some sort of bittersweet melody. He blinked in surprise and stepped inside after Jonghyun, not expecting the music but pleased nonetheless. “Wow, he’s a pianist?”

“Mhmm, he spends the majority of his time playing nowadays. It’s really nice, unless I’m trying to sleep.” Jonghyun chuckled softly, clearly trying not to disturb the pianist’s playing.

 _Taemin,_ he reminded himself mentally. He curiously wandered inside the flat after Jonghyun, entranced by the passion he could already sense, based off the music selection. Growing up, Minho had always silently respected musicians. He himself wasn’t blessed with such a gift, and thus, he marveled at those who were.

It was a rare chance for him to actually meet a musician, too. In his school years, he was an athlete. His father being a football coach almost made it impossible for him to follow any other path. He was often too busy to socialise outside of his circle, so that was what he blamed his childlike excitement on.

The second he saw him, Minho’s breath hitched slightly (not that he’d admit it to anyone, of course). The pianist before him had soft, almost fluffy looking blonde hair that fell cutely in front of his eyes. His small but slim fingers delicately worked  on the piano, poking through the long sleeves of his oversized jumper. His focus was downward on the keys, his expression relaxed but Minho could tell that the bittersweet melody meant something to the blonde… especially when the combination of keys and the slower tempo shifted to a darker, sadder sound.

“Taeminnie, you should stop playing that one,” Jonghyun quietly murmured, sitting down on the bench next to him. “You know it only makes it worse.”

The pianist ignored him entirely, continuing to play and not even looking up to meet Jonghyun’s gaze. After a few more sad sounding chords, the pianist’s fingers stilled, letting the note resound, leaving Minho wanting so much more.

“You’re really talented,” he found himself saying. He cleared his throat, surprised slightly at himself.

The blonde’s eyes flickered to him for a moment before going to Jonghyun and going back, seemingly confused. “Uh, hi. I’m Taemin, Jonghyun’s flatmate,” he said, clearly not expecting to meet anyone at this time, judging by the look he sent to the shorter male next to him.

“I’m Choi Minho,” he answered, silently scolding himself for using such a formal tone. He really needed to loosen up, this wasn’t a business meeting, it was a casual encounter. Thankfully he hadn’t held his hand out for a shake, that would have been embarrassing.

“He fell asleep on the bus and kind of got lost,” Jonghyun chided in, chuckling a little at Minho’s expense. So much for appearances. “I told him you’d give him a ride home.”

Only just now did Minho realise how comfortable Jonghyun and Taemin must be if Jonghyun had offered that… or maybe Jonghyun was being pushy. What if Taemin said no?

“Aigoo, you’re lucky I don’t have work tonight,” Taemin answered light-heartedly, though it did look a little forced if Minho had a say.

“Is that a yes?” the shorter male asked, sounding mildly surprised at how easily Taemin complied.

“I don’t see a reason not to. I would have picked you up from work if you had asked,” the blonde replied with a small chuckle, either of fondness or awkwardness, he couldn’t tell. “Minho, are you hungry? I did make pizza earlier, there’s plenty if you want some.”

“Wow, you actually cooked?”

Jonghyun looked so amazed, Minho couldn’t help but laugh in amusement, laughing a bit louder when Taemin elbowed his flatmate in the ribs. “Shut up, it’s not that hard to put a pizza in the oven!” He playfully rolled his eyes before looking back over to the tall store director expectantly.

Minho was rather confused as to why Jonghyun said Taemin was quiet because he didn’t appear to be at all like the shorter male had said. “I’m starving, actually. That sounds great, thanks.”

“I’ll get it for you, I need to grab some for myself anyway,” Jonghyun said, standing up from the piano bench. “C’mon, make yourself comfortable, don’t just stand there!”

The three of them all laughed a bit and Minho’s gaze flickered between the couch or the bench seat that Jonghyun vacated. He was tempted to ask Taemin to play some more, but he didn’t know any songs to request, or if Taemin would even know them, so he moved towards the couch.

“You can sit with me if you want, I’ve been working on a new melody and I want someone’s feedback other than Jonghyun’s,” the younger (or at least Minho assumed he was, judging by the youthful face) said with a playfulness that brought a smile to his lips.

“Sure, I’d love to hear it,” he replied, walking back towards the piano, unable to stop the warm feeling swelling in his chest. Why or how it was there was beyond him, he’d only just met the blonde and didn’t have any reasonable explanation.

As he took his seat next to the pianist, he found it impossible to tear his gaze away from him. He stretched his fingers and adjusted his too long sleeves a bit before finding the correct placements. 

He didn’t know much about the technicality, or if the occasional pauses were intentional or tiny slip ups, but the song sounded beautiful to his ears, just the way it was. The song was different from the last, seemingly more upbeat and cheery. It had the same underlying sadness he was beginning to recognise from the pianist, but this one certainly wasn’t as dark as the last.

As the blonde played, the intensity of the song grew and the pianist pressed down more keys at once, giving the song a fuller sound. Minho watched in awe, trying not to be obvious about it but _how_ did such tiny fingers do all of that at once? And when he tore his gaze from the keys to look up at the blonde, he had his eyes closed, like he was feeling the music rather than playing it. He appeared to be lost in his own world of keys and music and unsung lyrics, and it fascinated Minho in so many ways he couldn't possibly list them.

Just when Minho thought he couldn’t be anymore impressed, Taemin just had to prove him wrong. Not that he really minded, though. As a matter of fact, he would be content sitting there and letting Taemin prove him wrong all day.

There was just something so relaxing about his presence. Perhaps part of it was the music, but the music wouldn’t have been there without the pianist to play it.

Minho continued to listen closely as the blonde played, finding that the song was everything he wanted to hear and more if he was being honest with himself. He hadn’t heard a song that he resonated with instantly, much less one without lyrics to connect with. In a weird way, the song had ignited something in him. Passion? Longing? He couldn’t pinpoint it. When the last note finished ringing, he resisted the urge to clap and shower him with praises.

“That was great! Did you really write that yourself?” Minho asked, unable to keep the giddiness out of his tone. The song was powerful, intense… but beautiful, too.

Thankfully Taemin seemed to love it, though he was clearly a bit shy and awkward accepting the praise. “Ah, thank you. I started it a few days ago, I think it could use some tweaking, but I’m glad you liked it,” the blond said, bringing a hand to rub the nape of his neck.

“You’re welcome! And I think it was perfect the way it was, but you would know far better than I would,” Minho replied with a chuckle, trying not to look at the pianist’s full lips or cute shyness. He definitely wasn't thinking about how close they were sitting. 

Okay, so Minho definitely had a crush, and it hadn’t even been thirty minutes yet. He was so screwed.

Thankfully, Jonghyun chose just then to re-enter the room with a plate of pizza in hand.  “Sorry it took so long, Taeminnie didn’t cook it all the way through,” he said with a grin, setting the plate down in the center of the dining room table, ignoring the glare Taemin sent him.

“I did! I can taste the difference, and it tasted fine earlier-” The blonde narrowed his eyes suspiciously to accompany his statement, closing the piano and walking over to join him at the table.

“Oh sure, that’s why the center was still frozen,” Jonghyun interjected with a snort.

“You liar,” Taemin laughed. “I know that I cooked it thoroughly!” He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. “Pfft, I’m not making you food next time.”

Minho watched the friendly banter with an amused grin, trying his damnedest not to think about how cute Taemin looked right now and took a slice of the pizza instead. Now that there was food, he realised just how hungry he actually was. When was the last time he’d eaten?

He frowned when he remembered that he skipped lunch to handle an angry customer in the women’s shoe department… that meant he hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast, which was fourteen, fifteen hours ago. He quickly finished his slice and took another, ignoring the scorching hot temperature.

“Someone’s hungry,” Jonghyun commented, taking a seat down at the table. “You act like you haven’t had anything to eat in days.”

Taemin looked at him with mild concern, blinking as he sat across from Jonghyun. “You also look pretty worn for someone so young,” he added before dropping his gaze to the table. “You don’t look much older than me.”

“How old are you, anyway?” the shorter male asked as Minho took a seat next to Taemin.

“I’ve just turned twenty five,” he answered with a sheepish smile.

“Oh, so I’m your hyung then,” Jonghyun answered with a delighted grin. “And you’re Taemin’s hyung. He’s a baby,” the shorter cooed, much to Taemin’s clear distaste.

“Aish, I’m not a baby! Don’t listen to him, I’m not that much younger than you. I’m twenty three, and he’s twenty six,” Taemin butted in. “And if you call me a baby even just once more I’ll start calling you shorty.”

Minho had to bite back a laugh at the glare Jonghyun sent the blonde, quickly shutting up and taking a bite of his slice of pizza instead of deeming that worthy of a response.

It was strange how easily Minho felt like he fit in with them. He’d been a complete stranger to them not even an hour ago, and now it felt like he was eating with long time friends he was catching up with. Something about it just felt right-- much like it had working with Kibum or Jinki. Moving to Daegu had sucked at first, but now he was creating a life here, and he liked it. A lot.

“So, Minho, are you single?” Jonghyun asked, catching him off guard and he nearly choked on his pizza at the bluntness of the question.

“Uh… yes,” he answered awkwardly after coughing a bit.

Jonghyun snickered at his reaction until Taemin kicked him in his shin under the table. “Hyung! Flirt later, we just met him.”

 _Flirt?_ The word automatically brought a frown to his lips. He liked Jonghyun, yeah, but not in _that_ way. If there was somebody he wanted to flirt with, it’d be Taemin.

“I’m not flirting, I’m just asking,” Jonghyun continued to laugh at his flatmate. “Why? Are you jealous?”

Minho, too curious for his own sanity, couldn’t help but look over at the blonde, who was- much to his amusement- a bit flustered. “Ah… no. I’m not jealous. Stop saying ridiculous things and let him eat in peace.” Despite how adorable he looked when caught off guard like that, Minho could also sense some sort of uncertainty coming from him, and suddenly he’s reminded that Jonghyun mentioned an ex.

And the sad piano melody he played when Minho first arrived did incline that perhaps Taemin wasn’t ready for anything more than friendship… but he didn’t feel disappointed in the slightest. He had been there once, too, and it took him a while to get over it. Taemin could take all of the time he needed.

He nearly snorted at his own train of thought. He was getting way far ahead of himself. Would he even meet these two after tonight?

The possibility of him not seeing Taemin or Jonghyun again was almost enough to deflate his mood. As much as he wanted to push the thought back and rejoin the conversation the two were having (something about an artist?) it lingered in his thoughts. He tried to block it out and ate another slice of pizza, trying not to inhale it this time.

“So Minho-yah, you should give us your phone number,” Jonghyun’s voice cut into his thoughts, almost making him do a double take. Could he read minds or something? The timing of that was a little too perfect.

“Yeah, sure,” he said with a genuine smile. “It’d be great to spend some more time with you guys. I’m still new to the area and haven’t made many friends.”

“We need to show you around, then! Actually, I’ll leave that to Taeminnie, he’s the one with a car,” the eldest said, a slightly mischievous gleam in his eyes, clearly trying to set them up. Minho didn’t have even the slightest doubt about that.

His eyes went back to Taemin, who looked a bit uncomfortable. “You’re getting ahead of yourself, you know how busy I’ve been.” He chewed on his lip for a moment before looking back to Minho. “I’d love to show you around if I could… I generally work weekends, though, and judging by your work clothes, you’re off on them.”

Taemin hadn’t struck Minho as the observant type, but maybe he’d underestimated him a little as he looked back down to his clothes. Slacks, white button down shirt with a baby blue silk tie, all designer label… he supposed he did look like the typical businessman type. He let a small chuckle escape his lips and shook his head. “I work in a department store, my schedule is all over the place,” he said. “When are you free? I could work around your schedule.”

He hoped he wasn’t being too pushy. The last thing he wanted to do was make the younger uncomfortable in his presence.

“Ah, I generally have Tuesday nights off,” he answered with a small smile. “I work in a lounge as their pianist, so I usually work late.”

“Aww, Taeminnie don’t be modest,” Jonghyun interrupted, a wide grin spreading on his lips. “He’s also a composer. And a dancer. And a choreographer. I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do, well… except cook.” As Taemin glared at him, the shorter just laughed it off.

“Wow, so you must be busy with work a lot of the time,” Minho commented and immediately regretted it when Taemin’s expression turned pained before he looked away and abruptly stood up. Clearly Minho had struck the wrong chord, and it made him feel awful. “Ah, sorry… did I say something wrong?”

“No, no,” Taemin insisted with a forced smile. “I’m just really thirsty. Do you want something to drink?”

Minho shook his head and bit his pizza to distract himself a bit as Taemin retreated to the kitchen. He looked over at Jonghyun, hoping for an explanation of some sort but he also felt like it wasn’t his place.

The eldest sighed softly and picked at his pizza. “Sorry for that, maybe I should have warned you after all. Taemin’s ex…” Jonghyun frowned and sighed again. “He was a complete dick and cheated on him. Said Taemin didn’t give him enough attention and that he was lonely- utter bullshit. It’s been a sore subject since.”

Minho felt horrible after hearing that. He knew that he hadn’t meant to reopen old wounds, but still, it left a bitter taste in his mouth and suddenly the pizza wasn’t that appetising. “Oh… I… didn’t mean to bring up a bad memory. How long ago did this happen?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“Four months ago,” Jonghyun answered, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Nearly to the day, actually. Taemin hasn’t been the same ever since.” His tone took a sad turn, and Minho began to feel guilty for saying something, even though he hadn’t known it was a sore subject.

“Rightly so… but whoever would cheat on him is an absolute moron,” he commented, his voice equally quiet in pitch but certainly wasn’t a whisper. He repressed the urge to list compliments about the blonde pianist… but he really didn’t understand why anyone would cheat on someone so perfect and endearing as Taemin.

Okay, so maybe he had more than a crush on him. The jealousy and bitter feelings he felt right now wouldn’t be this strong otherwise. It had been such a short amount of time, but he was already in so deep.

“You’re right. I wish Taemin could see that it was his ex, not him,” Jonghyun murmured, worry furrowing his brow. “Sorry for bringing the mood down, Taemin probably wouldn’t have said anything… but I don’t know. He seems to like you a lot. I didn’t want you getting the wrong idea by his sudden mood change.”

Minho blinked in surprise when he looked up to see Taemin, clearly having heard some of their conversation. He shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, not sure what to say.

Jonghyun must have noticed the surprise on Minho’s face and also looked over to see his flatmate standing there, clearly uncomfortable with them having spoken about him behind his back. “Tae-”

“It’s fine, Jonghyun,” he said quietly. “I think maybe I should drive you home now, Minho. I’m sure you’re tired, we’ve kept you long enough.”

Minho knew that the colder tone was the hurt speaking, and given the time alone, he’d set things straight with him, hopefully. He didn’t want this between them. He genuinely liked Taemin and Jonghyun both.

“Ah, that’s fine with me. Thanks for having me,” he said with a grin, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. He pulled out his phone and unlocked it, creating a new contact before handing it to Jonghyun. “I’ll text you later if you give me your number.”

The eldest nodded and even smiled a bit as he quickly typed his contact info and saved it. “It was cool meeting you, Minho-yah. Though you probably shouldn’t fall asleep on the bus anymore.”

Minho chuckled a little and took back his phone before following Taemin outside the flat, who suddenly was quiet as Jonghyun warned he would be. He wouldn’t meet Minho’s gaze, either, instead focusing forward with a distant look on his face, like his mind was elsewhere.

“For what it’s worth, Taemin, I think you’re great,” he said, wanting to replace that sad, neutral expression with a smile like he’d seen earlier. “I didn’t mean to pry for information, but it sounds to me like your ex was in the wrong, not you, okay?”

Taemin’s expression softened and he finally met Minho’s gaze, albeit rather skittishly. “He wasn’t entirely wrong… I did give my all to work and music, not him… I just miss him. I took him for granted, and thought there’d always be time.” He sighed and ran a hand through his blonde locks, and Minho waited patiently for him to continue, not wanting to rush him, especially when he was opening up to him. “It’s not an excuse for his actions, but the what ifs still bother me is all.”

Minho hummed in understanding, though he still thought that maybe Taemin was giving his ex too much credit. The sudden urge to wrap his arms around the pianist’s smaller frame came over him as he offered him a small smile. He didn’t want to resist this urge, so he gently pulled Taemin into a hug. “The what ifs will go away eventually, Taeminnie,” he said, hoping he could comfort him. The blonde was rigid, still caught off guard by his embrace.

“Thank you,” Taemin answered quietly before relaxing in his hold. “You’re so kind, Minho-hyung.”

“I try to be,” he said, unable to stop the smile stretching across his lips and the swelling of his heart at the word ‘hyung.’ “Plus you’re really cute, it’s hard not to be.” As he pulled back, he poked the tip of the blonde’s nose with his index finger.

Much to his enjoyment, the blonde smiled widely in response and Minho found himself smiling back at him, knowing he was the one to put it there… and that the pianist would be playing happier melodies in the future.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! <3 Any kudos/comments/subscriptions mean the world to me.


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